The Next Step
by swc18
Summary: Sara's clean now and her next step is to start working again. What makes her decide to work at Fox River?


"You ever been to Red Lobster?"

Sara froze with the stir stick for her coffee in mid-air. Did Brad Bellick really just ask her out? Her mind scrambled for an excuse.

"I uh…tonight is actually my night to work on my resume."

"Oh?" she could see the disappointment and slight embarrassment in his face.

"Yea I just…well, like I said, it's time for me to get back on my feet and start working again, so I need to spend some time on it." She hoped that would be enough, but Brad didn't seem like the type to take no for an answer. She looked down and resumed stirring the cream and sugar into her coffee. Probably shouldn't be having ANY considering how late it was, but it was a weakness of hers and compared to hard drugs, having a cup of coffee at 7pm hardly seemed like a crime.

She realized Brad hadn't replied and looked up at him, a lock of auburn hair freeing itself from behind her ear. He was fidgeting with his hands and shifting his weight back and fourth between his feet, looking like he wanted to say something.

Brown eyes unwavering from his face, her brow furrowed, "What?" she questioned.

He cleared his throat, "I was just thinking about what you said during the meeting and was wondering, uh…you ever heard of Fox River?"

His question took her by surprise. Of course she'd heard of it. As the daughter of the one and only "Frontier Justice Frank", she knew all about the most notorious prison in Chicago. Her father's stance on capital punishment was one of the things that helped him get elected, much to her dismay. Killing people who killed people to show that killing is wrong didn't really make much sense to her; but her father wasn't winning any awards for respecting her opinion, _especially_ on political matters.

"Yea of course, why?"

"Well, I'm a CO over there and they're looking to hire a doc for the inmates. Hours are long and pay isn't great. Neither are the convicts, but someone's gotta do it." He said with a smirk.

Now _there's_ an idea; an idea that had honestly never occurred to her. Wouldn't that be a way to stick it to her father; using her medical degree to heal criminals. Oh she could practically see the vein in his forehead popping out, the mental image of which almost made her laugh out loud.

"Huh, Fox River…I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks Brad." She gave him a nod before heading out and he offered one in return.

XXXX

Sara's mind couldn't stop reeling after her conversation with Bellick. She'd made it back to her apartment, tossed her keys on the table, and gracefully folded down onto the couch cross-legged. Pulling a blanket over her legs, she stared at her closed laptop on the coffee table. Her gaze stayed there as her eyes went in and out of focus and her mind went blank for a moment. It had been a long day. She really SHOULD work on her resume, but fatigue and curiosity about Fox River were getting the best of her.

Why is the thought of working there so alluring? To annoy her father? No, that wasn't the whole picture. More like the icing on the cake. Inmates had very few rights, and very little voice in determining their fates. She could advocate for them. Make sure they were receiving proper medical care and that the decent men in there had a chance at a decent life after prison. Despite her father's flippancy on the matter, she knew there WERE innocent men in prison, and that didn't sit well with her. She could give a voice to the voiceless. How cliché. Then again, she'd spent her entire life in the shadow of her father with her voice not being enough to drown out his. Never had been. This could be her chance to change that.

"Time to call it a night" she told herself. Tomorrow she could start her research and dive in to the job hunt.

XXXX

_The old fashioned way is good right? _She thought to herself as she dialed the number for Fox River. Why send out emails and online applications when she could just call and talk to the Warden himself?

The early morning sun began shining through the blinds, and Sara paced by the window before pressing "call". She'd woken up early with renewed motivation, and wasted no time getting dressed in jeans and a fitted gray sweater. A little internet sleuthing informed her that Warden Pope was in charge, so that's the man she intended to speak with. After a few rings his secretary answered, but was able to patch her through right away.

"Warden Pope" he answered.

"Good mornin sir"

"What can I do for you?"

She paused a moment, "Well, my name is Sara and I uh, I spoke with Brad Bellick, a CO of yours?"

"Yes"

"He mentioned that you're looking to hire a physician."

He sounded pleasantly surprised. "That's correct"

"Well, I'm a physician looking for a job, and I'd love to have a chance to meet with you in person if it's not too much trouble."

"Yes, yes that would be great! Would some time later this afternoon work for you miss…?"

She paused and bit her lower lip. Damn it. She was hoping to avoid the whole "I'm the Governor's daughter" thing for as long as possible. Why couldn't her last name be something more common?

"Tancredi" she sighed.

She could practically hear the wheels turning in his mind, but he seemed like the professional sort and quickly recovered.

"Sounds great Ms. Tancredi. Would 3pm work ok?"

"That'll be great" she was pleasantly surprised he could meet with her so soon.

"Ok, just go to the main entrance and let the guards know you're here to see me. Someone will escort you to my office."

"Sounds great. Thank you sir"

"See you soon"

XXXX

It was strange actually being at a prison. She drove up to the main entrance as instructed and told the guards why she was there. They told her where to park and she walked back up to the entrance to be escorted in. It was a chilly day, and she had her gray coat buttoned up to the top and a scarf around her neck. Her hair draped around her shoulders, with a few loose strands being played with by the icy wind.

Brad came over to greet her. He _may_ have volunteered to be the one to walk her over to the Warden's office. He used being the head CO as an excuse to be the one, but he really just wanted to see her again and give her the grand tour of his domain. He could tell she was cold as he approached and wished he had a jacket to offer her that wasn't his uniform. As he got closer he couldn't help but notice how rosy her cheeks were, and how the cold somehow made those lips of hers were even more alluring than usual. She stood with her hands in her pockets and took one out to wave as he approached.

"_Pull yourself together Brad" _he scolded himself.

"Afternoon Sara"

"Hey Brad good to see you" she said with a nod.

"You too" it came out with way more boyish sincerity than he had intended. A few of the other COs were watching the interaction and snickering to each other. _To hell with them_. He thought. _They're just jealous._

"Uh, right this way" he led her through the gates to the prison.

It was a long walk to the main entrance. It was yard time, so there were a lot of inmates hanging out by the fence and on the bleachers as they walked by. She heard a few whistles and catcalls but did her best to ignore them.

"Sorry about them. Bad timing having you walking in here now. They don't see a lot of women around here …especially not pretty ones" he gave her a wink.

Sara looked down at the ground as she walked and didn't give Brad the satisfaction of a response. Looks like she's going to have to get used to a fair amount of flirtation and innuendos from both Brad and the inmates. But eh, no problem there. She knew how to be professional and firm with patients when it was warranted. And Brad? She'd been hinting pretty strongly that there's not a snowball's chance in hell, but she might have to just say that outright if he doesn't loose his persistence.

As they approached the Warden's office, she was surprisingly at ease. She knew she was plenty qualified for the job and found herself feeling curious more than anything else, taking in her new surroundings.

Brad opened the Warden's office door and gestured for her to go inside.

"Good luck Sara," he said with a tip of his hat.

"Thank you"

Warden Pope removed his glasses, set them on his impressive desk, and came out from behind it to greet her.

"Good afternoon Ms Tancredi!"

"Good afternoon" she offered a firm hand shake. Something her father had drilled into her so long ago it was second nature. _Eye contact and a firm handshake goes a long way Sara. _He'd told her that repeatedly; it was one of the few useful lessons he'd provided and in that moment she was grateful.

"Feel free to take your jacket off if you'd like, and have a seat. Make yourself at home" he said with a smile. He really struck her as being a kind, genuine man. Wanting to put her at ease and make her feel comfortable.

She obliged; took off her coat and scarf and then sat down opposite him.

The interview went pretty much as expected. All the usual questions about her education, experience, blah blah blah. It wasn't until the end of the interview that the elephant in the room was addressed.

"So I have to ask," he started, "Tancredi…any relation to the Governor?"

She looked down and fidgeted with the ring on her index finger. "Uh, yea he's my father" she said it like a question. Looking up at Pope to gauge his response. She didn't know his stance on capital punishment or any of the issues that her father governed with regards to the criminal justice system. If he disagreed with her father, she may have to make it clear that she in no way agreed with his politics. And if Pope agreed with her father…well, she could still try make a difference from the inside. Quietly. Following protocol but finding chances to make a positive impact without raising suspicion.

Pope didn't skip a beat, "Ah, he's a nice guy. He's come around here once or twice to see how we do things around here. But anyways I was just curious, has nothing to do with your qualifications. Ms. Tancredi we'd be happy to have you on board. The job is yours if you'd like it."

"Absolutely I would, I really appreciate it sir," she said with a genuine smile. She was excited. _Actually _excited. This is something way different than the hospitals she'd worked at in the past. She would be the only doctor on staff and her patients would rely on her alone for all of their care. Not to mention the various injuries that inmates are bound to acquire.

They shook hands and he sent her on her way to Human Resources. No time to waste; they wanted her starting as soon as possible.

XXXX

"Sara what the HELL!?"

"_Hi dad, nice to hear from you too"_ she thought with an eye roll. She'd debated answering when she saw him calling since she was in a grocery store, and now she was really regretting her decision. This was gonna be fun.

"You're working at Fox River now!? Are you TRYING to get yourself killed!?" she took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yes I'm working at Fox River, and no I don't have a death wish" she retorted in an un-amused tone. How he found out so fast was beyond her. No secrets in this town apparently.

"Why Sara, why on Earth would you do that? You could be working at a hospital! Saving children, working in an emergency room, curing cancer!" She rolled her eyes again. They're gonna get stuck in the back of her head if this conversation lasts more than 5 minutes.

"I'm doing this because I want to help people. What is it to you anyways? Worried it'll affect your image for the next election?" She couldn't help herself; didn't want to poke the bear, but come on. They both knew that having her working at the prison would negatively impact his campaign that revolved around being tough on crime. But that wasn't her problem. She was sick and tired of tiptoeing around and making choices based on how it will affect HIM and HIS image. She liked working at Fox River and didn't plan on leaving any time soon.

He sighed, "Sara…" she could hear the exasperation in his voice.

"Look dad, I'm not going to get killed. They always have a guard on the inmates when I see them. And as far as your image, it's not like I'm out protesting the death penalty in the streets."

"I'm not happy about this."

"You usually aren't about the things that I do."

"You're making a mistake working there, Sara. Might not realize it now but I hope to God some day you will." And with that, he hung up.

She slid her phone into the back pocket of her jeans and ran her fingers through her hair. At this point, mutual disrespect was about all their relationship was built on. Sadly, she was used to it and expected nothing else. But it didn't matter. She was clean, and she was doing a job that meant something to her and gave her purpose. She looked down at the shopping cart in front of her with only a fraction of the groceries that she needed, and headed for the check out.


End file.
